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I know I have two phases supplying my household sockets, there are 2 tariff 11 meters in the meter box. I think an extra phase was installed when the house was originally built to supply a big a/c or sauna on its own phase.
Is there anything like an inverter box where you can plug in separate leads from two sockets on different single phases and take off a 3 phase supply?
The simple answer is yes. You can get phase converters that will take two phases and produce a third (or one phase and procedure the other two). It would most likely need it's own dedicated socket and not just a couple of GPO's (or it can be hardwired).
Now you could have two different arrangements:
1. Two of three phases 120º apart (i.e. 415V phase to phase). This would be the ideal as you can easily and cheaply run your gear off 415V.
2. Two phases 180º apart (split phase or SWER) at 480V phase to phase. Less then ideal, but still not too bad (this is what I have).
I guess there is one other possibility, but I don't know how likely it is - that is that you have two of the same phases coming into the house.
I got one of these.
Frequency Inverter CFW-08 - Drives - Automation - Products & Services - Australia - WEG
3HP is as high as you can go with the 240V single phase input.
I have almost finished setting it up on a big old lathe, when I have I will do a thread about it.
I looked into phase converters in some depth and then abandoned the idea. It would have been ok had I just wanted to run a single machine of less than 3hp at a time. However, I wanted to run two decent-sized 3 phase appliances at once (thicknesser plus dusty) so I would have needed two phase converters. Also you lose the efficiency gains that three phase has as you lose energy changing a single phase to three phases. In addition I'd have had yet another piece of machinery generating heat and taking up valuable space in my shed.
Three phase appliances generate the same level of output using fewer amps than single phase appliances which is a significant attraction for me. I've opted to save my pennies and have the mains connection changed over. In addition as I have one single phase appliance with a large current draw. I'll connect this to a phase not in general use on our property so that when it switches on and off it has no effect on the remainder of our installation.
Hi, Re the 3 phase set up I am not a sparky so am only throwing this in as an idea.
I remember my father talking about running an old 2 phase welder (most likely a pilot arc) off the single phase from his place and the single from next door.
If you have 2 phases maybe one of your neighbours has the other?:2tsup:
Just a thought.:U
H.